On February 11, 2026, at about 11:30pm, officers were dispatched to the front of the police department regarding someone wanting to report suspicious activity. Upon arrival officers contacted a female subject in the department lobby who appeared to be paranoid and speaking rapidly. While getting her statement officers were alerted to someone honking their car horn in front of the department. Officers contacted the subject and found he was the husband to the female in the lobby. The subject, identified as 37-year-old Reynaldo Hilario Negrete of Coalinga, was in the driver seat of the vehicle, parked across multiple parking stalls, and was holding an infant child in his lap, an obvious safety concern.
As officers attempted to obtain his statement, Negrete became verbally aggressive and officers had concerns for the safety of the child. At one point as officers were walking around the vehicle to contact him, Negrete drove the vehicle forward, almost striking the officer. Officers were able to convince Negrete to hand the child over to his wife. Once the child was safe, officers had Negrete step out of the vehicle and attempted to search him for weapons. Negrete then became resistive to officers and started bowing his arms out and pulling away in an attempt to escape. A physical altercation occurred between Negrete and the officers trying to detain him. Negrete continued to swing his arms, kick his legs, and spit at the officers, striking them several times. With the help of officers from the California Highway Patrol, officers were able to place Negrete into handcuffs. Officers received minor injuries during this incident and due to health concerns, Negrete was transported to the Coalinga Regional Medical Center for a medical evaluation. Medical staff from Coalinga Regional Medical Center later contacted officers to report they had located a white substance in Negrete’s wallet. Officers retrieved the substance which later tested presumptively positive for methamphetamine.
On February 20th, 2026, officers wrote a Ramey warrant for the formal arrest of Negrete for violations of Possession of a Controlled Substance, three counts of Battery on a Peace Officer, three counts of Obstructing / resisting Officers with Threats or Violence, Obstructing /Resisting a Peace Officer, and Driving with a Suspended License, with a bail amount of $100,000.
On February 21st, 2026, after learning Negrete had been released from the hospital, officers served the Ramey warrant at his residence in the City of Coalinga. Negrete was contacted and safely taken into custody on the above charges and later transported to the Fresno County Jail for booking.
Coalinga Press 